Holidays

Holidays in Switzerland

As in Germany, many holidays in Switzerland are Christian in nature. Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Ascension Day are celebrated throughout the country. Boxing Day, called St. Stephen’s Day in Switzerland, Good Friday, Easter Monday and Whit Monday are public holidays in almost all cantons.

In addition, Switzerland has a number of regional holidays that are celebrated only in individual cantons. Many of them are traditionally celebrated with traditional costumes, folk music and culinary specialties. It is worthwhile for travellers to travel to Switzerland on the holidays and learn about customs typical of the country.

Overview

New Year’s Day – January 1

Berchtold’s Day – January 2

Three Kings Day – January 6

Joseph’s Day – March 19

Karif Friday – the Friday before Easter

Easter Monday – Monday after Easter

Labor Day – May 1

Ascension Day – 39 days after Easter

Pentecost Monday – 50 days after Easter

Front Corpus Christi – 60 days after Easter

Peter and Paul – June 29

Federal holiday – August 1

Ascension of Mary – August 15

All Saints Day – November 1

Marian Conception – December 8

Christmas Day – December 25

St. Stephen’s Day – December 26

Worth knowing about selected holidays

Federal Holiday

On August 1, the Swiss celebrate their national holiday. On Federal Day, they commemorate the founding of the country in early August 1291. Windows are decorated with Swiss, cantonal and municipal flags, and public buildings and squares are also flagged on this day. There are festivities in the communities, people pray and sing (including the national anthem), music plays for dancing and some people take the opportunity to make a short speech. Many people wear traditional costumes on the federal holiday.

Labor Day

May 1 is a public holiday in many parts of Switzerland. The center of Labor Day celebrations will be found in Zurich. Together with the trade union federation, the Zurich May Day Committee organizes the largest regular demonstration in Switzerland and a large public festival lasting several days.

Joseph Day

Joseph Day is a Catholic holiday celebrated in honor of Joseph, Mary’s husband, on March 19. It is celebrated in some predominantly Catholic-populated cantons in Switzerland, such as the cantons of Schwyz, Valais, Graubünden, Lucerne and Zug.

Christmas

In Switzerland, a decorated Christmas tree and a good meal with the family are as much a part of the festivities as the presents. For many, attending a church service is also part of the festivities, even if one otherwise rarely goes to a place of worship. The most important customs are therefore no different from those in Germany.

Thanks to its multilingualism, Switzerland has a rich tradition of Christmas carols.